The course presupposes some general knowledge, mainly concerning the geographical setting of the Mediterranean and the historical framework, which is provided in the course Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations I, a module which should be considered as a preparation for this course.

The Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations II course covers the history from the Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) to the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD). It will provide a coherent narrative of the major civilisations that followed or interacted during this long period. After clarifying the chronological framework and the main periodisations in use, an outline of the main social, political and cultural features of these civilisations in time will be proposed. Emphasis will be placed on events and processes that constitute essential references and turning points in the historical dynamics of the ancient Mediterranean. 
Literary and documentary sources related to these historical phases and phenomena will be analysed, highlighting their specific contribution to the knowledge of the subject.

Students will acquire a clear, albeit general, knowledge of the history of the Mediterranean region during the last two millennia BC and the first centuries AD. 
They will be able to understand and use the chronological divisions defined by modern scholars and to place the various civilisations under study in chronological order. 
They will know the main social, political and cultural processes and the main events that marked the history of the Mediterranean region in antiquity (with their dating). 
They will be able to understand sources such as texts and artefacts that document the above processes.

Lectures and classes supported by PPT presentations; individual and group exercises.
The module will be taught in a 4-week block mode (2 weeks preparation + 2 weeks lectures).
A detailed schedule of the course (preparation + lectures) will be made available.

A final written examination will assess the students' study and understanding of the basic elements taught in the preparatory section (chronologies), their knowledge of the course teaching material and of the assigned readings.
Grade:
ECTS       A+      A    B    C    D    E     F
ITALIAN  30/L    30  28  26   24  22   <18

Grades will be determined according to the following breakdown:
Attendance and course work (preparation and training; lectures): 30%
Final exam: 70%

The course will be taught in English. It will be taught at the NWU of Xi'an (PRC)

The Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations II course focuses on the ancient history of the Mediterranean basin and the various civilizations that formed the beginnings of European civilisation.
The history from the Bronze Age (c. 3200 B.C.) to the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 A.D.) will be illustrated by a narrative divided into major chronological periods, including
- the protohistoric Aegean societies, the Minoans, the Mycenaeans and the Phoenicians;
- Phoenicians;
- The Greek world in the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods;
- Etruscans, Carthaginians and ancient Italic peoples, including the Romans;
- The struggles between Carthage and Rome and the Roman conquest of the whole basin (31 BC);
- The creation of the idea of 'mare nostrum' and the unity of the Roman Mediterranean until its disintegration.
Some key events and processes that represent turning points in the historical dynamics of the ancient Mediterranean will be highlighted. 
Readings from literary and documentary sources will form an important part of the study.

PDF and texts provided by the teacher

Abulafia, D. (2011) The Great Sea: a Human History of the Mediterranean, Cambridge University Press, pp. 15-211; 226-239.

Horden, P. and Kinoshita, S. (eds) (2014), A Companion to Mediterranean History, Wiley Blackwell , pp. 43-76